The present invention relates generally to systems for locating electromagnetic radiation sources, such as radio frequency (RF) signal sources.
Radio frequency detectors are known in the art for passively detecting radio frequency signal sources. For instance, radio frequency signal hunters exist for detecting signal sources based upon detected signal strength. Radio frequency interferometers have also been used to receive RF signals on a linear array of sensors in order to calculate a spatial relationship between the array sensors and the source of RF energy.
However, the need exists for an efficient, comprehensive, and dependable locating system to clearly locate, identify, and mark an RF signal source. Exemplary applications of such a locating system include identifying rogue or interfering RF signal sources, and tracking down RF signal sources, such as cellular phone signals. Such a locating system may find particular use in a variety of circumstances, for example, in the telecommunication industry for locating RF signal sources interfering with cellular phone towers. Such a locating system may also find use by rescue personnel to track down a user in distress, for example, an individual involved in an automobile crash in a remote area or lost in a sparsely inhabited area where cell towers are far between, and target signals may be weak or masked.